Diffs & compatibility in Old OS for G3

R

rwford

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I was given an old iMac G3 Lime (Rev. D 333MHz) that did not include any physical software. The nature of the problems it is having seem to necessitate a reinstall of the OS. I understand that I must buy some original OS CDs before I can get any upgrades from Apple. I also understand that OS 9.2.2 is about as high of a level of OS I should install without having to uprade the CPU, RAM etc. I want to buy the OS on eBay, but I don't know much about the difference between REstore S/W versus Retail S/W versus install restore s/W. The choices I have are:

8.5 restore CD-ROM + 30 day warranty

OS 9.0 install disk set

G4 cube OS 9.0.4 Install restore set

OS 9.0.4 retail CD

imac 9.0.4 system restore imac dv g3

Please help me choose and explain your rationale. Thanks in advance for your prompt reply.
 
I was given an old iMac G3 Lime (Rev. D 333MHz).
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Here is a link regarding the Rev. D 333MHz iMac G3.

http://lowendmac.com/imacs/rev-d-imac-g3-333-mhz.html

I also understand that OS 9.2.2 is about as high of a level of OS I should install without having to uprade the CPU, RAM etc.
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OS 9.2.2 is required before moving up to Mac OS X ... also required is a Firmware Update which you would find here. You can go as high as Panther 10.3.9 on your iMac G3 and that's without needing any CPU bump. You would need to max out the RAM though and IIRC, you can install up to 512 mb.

I want to buy the OS on eBay, but I don't know much about the difference between REstore S/W versus Retail S/W versus install restore s/W.
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What you need is a bootable Full Retail Software Install Disc/s. For OS 9, these will have a white label and a large orange 9. Don't buy anything that is an upgrade disc as these require there to already be an OS installed so make sure the discs you buy are fully bootable or in other words you can boot your iMac directly from this disc and proceed to install the OS.

For Mac OS X, don't buy any discs that have a gray label. The Full Retail versions have a black label with a large White X.


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAC-OS-9-2-2-CD-UNIVERSAL_W0QQitemZ120297706107QQihZ002QQcategoryZ154197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The above link points to an OS 9 disc which claims to be Universal but then has OEM in the blurb and has a gray label which clearly distinguishes it as a Software Restore Disc for a specific model only so you'd steer clear of this type of disc. Even the icon (large orange 9) in the image next to the item name is misleading as it leads you to think it's a Retail Version.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mac-OS-9-CD-UNIVERSAL-in-BOX-NEU-OVP_W0QQitemZ120298054871QQihZ002QQcategoryZ154197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The image showing the disc label at the above link is the correct type of disc you need but even in that ad, unless you speak German, it's difficult to determine that the disc on offer is fully bootable and not an upgrade version. I would only buy if I knew for sure.

Here is a link for you re: OS 9:

OS 9 Installation & Updates

Scroll down the page until you come to the relevant section.

Hope this helps.


.
 
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VirtualTracy said:
You would need to max out the RAM though and IIRC, you can install up to 512 mb.
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just be careful about the ram you get if you want to go to 512mb. At one point I personally owned a couple dozen of these models and also the slot loaders (the generation after these). I still own two of the 333mhz ones. There are two ram slots in them. One on each side of the CPU card. The bottom one requires a thin ram chip, which they all are these days so it should not be a problem for that. The bottom one is more difficult to get to, but not that hard. Apple's own specs say that 128mb chip is the largest you can put in there. People say that you can put two 256mb chips in and I have tried several but never gotten one to work. They only show up as 128mb for me. I heard it had to do with the physical configuration of the chips on the ram stick, but I decided it was not worth the headache and effort and cost of trying more sticks in them. One of the 333mhz imacs i still have has the Sonnet Harmoni CPU upgrade card in it and Sonnet also says that it will take 256 chips but i could not get them to work in there either.

well, that is my 2 cents
 
Jeffo said:
People say that you can put two 256mb chips in and I have tried several but never gotten one to work. They only show up as 128mb for me.
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During this time, there were two types of 256MB (and higher) RAM available: high-density and low-density.

The iMac you speak of (and every computer on up through the G4 Yikes! machine) required low-density RAM. You were more than likely in possession of high-density RAM, which shows up as half of the specified capacity in machines that required low-density RAM.

There are no low-density 512MB sticks available (impossible to make 512MB sticks in a low-density fashion), and that's where the 256MB limit comes into play. It's also why the G4 Yikes! machine could only go up to 1GB of installed RAM (4 x 256MB low-density chips), but the Sawtooth machines could go up to 2GB of RAM (4 x 512MB high-density chips).
 
To all, and especially VirtualTracy, THANKS!! This lime iMac is a pet project I will be working on improving little by little and not a daily work machine (I have to live in PC land at work!) so the links to lowendmac.com look like they will keep me busy for a while. Definitely worth the price of admission. Again, thanks! Sorry my reply was so late, but I didn't realize they had moved my tech question to the forum. Newbie mistake I guess. Thanks for the education on the RAM as well. I guess that will be my next upgrade.
 
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